Brisbane Lions come from 44 points down to defeat GWS Giants in AFL semi-final

Brisbane has staged one of the AFL’s great finals comebacks, rallying from 44 points down to stun GWS Giants and seal a preliminary final berth against Geelong.

Brisbane has managed to pull off another miracle finals comeback at the expense of GWS.

Just a week after they let a big fourth quarter lead slip against Sydney, the Giants again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in blowing a 44-point lead as the Lions moved one step closer to avenging last year’s grand final defeat.

PLAYER RATINGS: EVERY LION, GIANT RATED

Trailing by more than four goals in the final term, a booming left foot from the boundary line from Joe Daniher got the Lions back to within a point with more than three minutes to play.

It was Daniher again that put the Lions in front for the first time since early in the first quarter, taking a big mark inside 50m to get the vocal Brisbane fans at Engie Stadium up and about.

“You don’t very often have days like that in footy. It was one of the great comeback wins. I’m very proud of the group,” Lions coach Chris Fagan said.

“We hung in there. The character of the team was on display tonight. We’ll get a lot of confidence out of that.

“Tonight we had to do it a different way and we were able to do that.

“They’re desperate to get back there and have a crack.”

Brisbane found themselves down by a huge margin midway through the third term after the Giants kicked seven-straight goals after a brain fade from Dayne Zorko turned the tide midway through the second.

It was then they launched the first of their comebacks, kicking five in a row to cut it from 44 points down to just 13.

After Jesse Hogan came up with two clutch plays inside the final two minutes of the third the Lions looked cooked, before Brisbane produced a comeback for the ages.

They came out on top 15.15 (105) to 15.10 (100) at Engie Stadium to book a date with Geelong in next weekend’s preliminary final.

GWS players come to terms with another missed opportunity. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“Incredibly disappointed. We put ourselves into what we thought was a winning position up 44 points,” GWS coach Adam Kingsley said.

“We thought we learnt our lessons from the game against the Swans.

“Tonight was the same story unfortunately. It would appear we still haven’t learnt that lesson.”

Kingsley conceded his side was “not yet a premiership brand.”

“When you put yourself in a position to win the game, you should win the game. And we didn’t,” he said.

“We didn’t cope with the contest as well as we would’ve liked. They capitalised on their opportunities and we didn’t challenge them the other way.

“There’s large chunks of our game that are in really good order. There’s moments in games where you have to be better than your opposition in, but we let ourselves slip.”

Joe Daniher is mobbed after his last-quarter heroics. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

UMPIRE’S RIDICULOUS CLANGER

Brisbane was looking for a spark to counter a great first quarter from the Giants, and they were gifted a goal after a shocking umpire decision.

GWS was awarded a free kick in front of their goal and Isaac Cumming shaped to play on with a Lion in the protected space.

Joe Daniher tackled Cumming and the umpire came up with a horrendous call of holding the ball, allowing Daniher to easily kick his second goal of the term.

JOE DANIHER 🤯#AFLFinals | #AFLGiantsLionspic.twitter.com/onTKFq7f34

— AFL (@AFL) September 14, 2024

BIG BRIGGS’ SNAP DECISION

Kieren Briggs was taking all before him in the ruck and even managed to get himself on the scoresheet with a goal that proved euphoric for Giants fans.

The big man found himself looking like a stunned mullet with possession in the forward 50 in the middle of a pack.

After failing to find someone to handball to, he took it upon himself to snap for goal and split the big sticks.

Originally published as Brisbane Lions come from 44 points down to defeat GWS Giants in AFL semi-final